Set to hit stores today is the DJI Dock 2, an automated ‘drone in a box’ enterprise solution that enables customers to quickly deploy a DJI Matrice 3D/3TD drone. It’s compatible with DJI FlightHub 2 for automated aerial missions that can be managed and monitored through cloud-based operations.
There’s the unmanned Kawasaki K-Racer X2 drone, and then this ‘heavy-lifting’ manned drone that you can buy on Alibaba for a whopping $39,000 USD. Riders to need to weigh under 220 pounds, but those that meet the criteria can use it to fly up to 400-feet in the air.
Foodora Air drones are set to launch a food delivery service in Sweden by May, thanks to 5G technology from Tele2. The latter will be used to connect o a number of restaurants on Värmdö, outside Stockholm, while foodora’s technology platform creates a seamless and efficient delivery experience.
There’s the CudaJet underwater jetpack, and then Hydrus, a micro-autonomous underwater drone that can be used to explore shipwrecks and study aquatic life. Unlike other underwater drones, Hydrus captures stunning imagery, even in challenging low light and turbid conditions, thanks to a 4K camera, dynamic lighting as well as AI image processing.
Photo credit: Qingsheng Meng
Larger drones, like the DJI Express, designed for long-distance deliveries will typically require a fixed takeoff site such as a depot or an airport. Industrial designer Qingsheng Meng shows us what DJI’s version could look like, complete with a large camera dome up front.
Kratos’ Thanatos is designed for long range missions, while Teledyne DLIR’s Black Hornet 4 nano drone tackles more stealthy operations. Weighing just 70 grams, it can fly for more than 30-minutes on a full charge and in up to 25-knot (28.7 mph) winds.
The Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Aerospace Systems Directorate successfully flew General Atomics’ XQ-67A uncrewed air vehicle on Feb. 28, 2024, at the General Atomics Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility near Palmdale, California.